Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar Novelization
by The Bookkeeper
Summary: Update While three adventurers train to prove themselves in the world, a powerful force grows in the lands of Angmar. Now, these three adventurers will come together to help defend the lands of Eriador before it is claimed by the Witch King of Angmar...
1. Lindorfin Introduction

Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar

Lindorfin Introduction

Wasting no time, Lindorfin ran through the halls of the Elven Training Building, having no realization of the chaos that was taking place just outside. The tall, young elf was wearing simple peasant garments when a fellow elven trainee awaked him from his mid-day sleep. He had shouted for Lindorfin to hide the Edhelion relics, which were precious to elves in the Edhelion Elf Refuge and to other elves throughout the expansive region of Ered Luin. Although Lindorfin had no idea why he needed to hide the relics, he had been taught great discipline, and would do what he was asked of. He knew immediately that there was something wrong when he saw the scores of refugees running away from the doors. After doing so, he quickly made his way towards the exit.

Lindorfin soon came to the door, and only then did he come to the startling realization of what was happening. He began to hear the screams, the clashing of swords, and a distant thumping near the Edhelion East Gate. As Lindorfin came outside, he stared in disbelief at the mass destruction about. Everywhere he looked, he saw elves battling Dourhand dwarves and goblins. Several buildings were on fire, and many bodies were scattered about the floor. Civilians were running in horror, being cut down by axes and mundane goblin blades. Lindorfin gasped, and having not been in combat before, was surprised to see his trainer so agile and swift.

Talagan Silvertongue kicked a dwarf off of the high platform, holding a long gray staff in his hands, which he usually kept in his room. He was, like Lindorfin, not dressed for battle, he also had not expected this. He wore a long blue robe, which he usually wore during any of the training with Lindorfin and his colleagues. Talagan looked over at some other people nearby, who ran up stairs to the training halls for safety. A goblin jumped down from the roof unexpectedly, knocking several watchers over and attempting to slash at one of them. Talagan responded quickly, kicking the goblin away from the watcher and hitting it in the head with his staff, knocking it unconscious.

He looked back at Talagan, who nodded and pointed to a nearby body, which was turned back down. It was the body of one of the refuge elders, Haerandir. A bow and knife were laid down beside him. Lindorfin picked them up, and Talagan turned towards Lindorfin. "Lindorfin, hurry, we have no time! Have you hidden the relics?"

"Yes, they are hidden, I placed them in the halls, underground." Lindorfin said quickly.

"Good. Fortunately, we have been able to push the Dourhands and their Goblin allies back. However, the battle is not won yet. I have received word from a lookout in the Eastern Pass. He has caught sight of Skorgrim, the Dourhands' Lord, and another war party coming towards the refuge. What is worse is that he has a snow troll in his company. I did not think that Skorgrim would sink so low! His greed for Edhelion's relics holds no bounds.

"Skorgrim will be on us at any minute. We must brace ourselves for the attack. What I would ask of you is to help defend the courtyard. Sadly, Haerandir has succumbed to his wounds, but I know he would have wanted for you to take up his weapons. By using them, you should be able to help far more." Talagan said, looking down sadly at Elder Haerandir.

Suddenly, there was a pause, and a loud horn was heard in the distance, a battle horn of volume Lindorfin never before heard. Talagan's face quickly brightened, as he looked towards the East. "There, that is the horn call of Elrond. There is hope yet!" He shouted, and looked back towards Lindorfin.

"Elrond has answered my summons of many months ago! I sent him word of our troubles with Skorgrim and his dwarves, it seems he has come to help us! We may yet win this day, Lindorfin!

"Quick, now that you are armed, go to the courtyard of Edhelion. Edhelben will direct you there. Dorongur Whitethorn and other survivors are entrenched there, holding out against attack. Make your way there, and help them defend it. We need hold out only a bit longer before Elrond and his elves shall be here!

"Be careful though, there may be a few invaders still lurking beneath Edhelion's walls" Talagan warned, kicking the unconscious goblin on the ground down into the water to drown. "You may need to fight your way to the courtyard, use all that I and other trainers have taught you. Some of your fellow trainees are still alive, in the courtyard. Come this way, hurry!" Talagan said. "Ebhelden will open the gate for you."

Lindorfin wasted no time in running down the stairs, gripping his bow hard, and standing behind the gleaming elven gate. On the other side, Lindorfin saw, Ebhelden was combating a goblin, which he quickly killed with a stab to the heart. "Urk.." the goblin mumbled as it hit the ground and died. Ebhelden opened the gate and looked at Lindorfin, "Come, Lindorfin, quickly! To the East Gate!" he said as he ran towards the source of the thumping Lindorfin had heard.

Immediately, as Lindorfin neared the gate, he realized the source of the thumping. On the other side, a massive 10-foot snow troll was slamming its club onto the gate, bending it slightly with every hit. Lindorfin's heart was heavy in the face of such evil, and dread filled him, as he stumbled back. The troll stopped glared at him, roaring, before continuing to pummel the gate. Ebhelden ran to Lindorfin and shouted to him, "Skorgrim's forces have arrived! The gate will not hold long, with that snow troll beating on it. Do not tarry here, Lindorfin, hurry to the courtyard, you must help bolster our defenses there!" Ebhelden said, and Lindorfin looked away from the troll, relieved to be away from the terrifying beast.

He ran with as fast as he could through the gate near the training building, and was shocked by the number of watchers now dead or dying around Edhelion. He ran up a stairway, to see a filthy goblin picking through the body of a watcher, whose fine blue robe was partly covered in blood. The goblin cackled, and Lindorfin's mind split in anger upon seeing one of these invaders taking the lives of a watcher. He took out his bow and an arrow, pulling back the arrow all the way to his shoulder, slowly walking towards the goblin. He let go of the arrow, and it zoomed down to the goblin's skull, piercing and shattering it. The goblin fell down on the ground instantly, dead.

Lindorfin looked around, and saw a small bridge to his left, over the west gate, and ran over it. One goblin was leaning against a wall, looking down at a watcher body and grinning. This one was more attentive though, and looked at Lindorfin, quickly standing up fully. "I'll gut you, you nasty elf!" it shouted, and ran at the young elf. He dodged the first sword stab, punching the goblin away. It stumbled back a bit, and Lindorfin took the opportunity to take out his dagger. He took a slash at the goblin, but was blocked. The goblin parried, then took another stab.

This one got Lindorfin in the arm, and he stepped back, holding his cut with one hand, and his dagger in the other. The goblin chuckled, and crouched down, pouncing on the elf. He dropped down, as the goblin flew over him, and then fell onto the ground. Lindorfin jumped back, grabbing the goblin and holding it up. He slammed its head on a wall, then broke its neck and threw it down to the ground. Lindorfin looked at his wound, sighing, and taking out a minor essence of athelas medicine. He poured a bit of the liquid over the wound, and it stung badly.

He clenched his teeth, but in moments, the wound closed perfectly. Lindorfin saw he still had some of the green essence in the bottle, and put it away, running on. He saw another goblin, just as unattentive as the first, and stealthily stepped up behind it. With one swift stroke of his dagger, the goblin was dead, and slumped down on the ground on top of the watcher. Lindorfin kicked it away, and only then did he realize that he was being seen. He heard heavy footsteps behind him, and quickly jumped forward, almost into a wall. He looked back, and there was a Dourhand dwarf, holding a long axe and glaring at the elf.

The fight was over almost before it had begun. The Dourhand dwarf had no idea of the ability of this elf. He made a simple, ineffective horizontal slash with his axe. Lindorfin was almost caught, but he dropped down prone, and rolled away from the dwarf, taking out an arrow and making a quick shot at the dwarf. The arrow went directly into the Dourhand's heart, and the dwarf's assumption of Lindorfin's abilities came too late. "I am broken" the dwarf muttered, and fell back onto the ground. The elf stood up, smiling and running towards the courtyard.

Once there, he saw a dwarf in armor, with a shield and mace. It kicked down at a goblin's body, frowning "Skorgrim should have never used the help of goblins, pathetic beasts" he said. Lindorfin hid behind a small pillar, and the dwarf looked over. He shrugged his shoulders and was instantly killed by a large barbed arrow, which stuck out of the back of his head. Lindorfin smiled, putting away the bow and running past the Dourhand, to the courtyard gate.

Once there, he saw a man in red, carrying a staff similar to Talagan's. He was another of the trainers, Dorongur Whitethorn, and ran to the courtyard gate as he saw Lindorfin. Dorongur smiled, and opened the gate for him. "Quick, Lindorfin, come in! I dare not leave the gate open too long" he said, and Lindorfin rushed in, the gate shutting behind him. "Lindorfin, come this way" he said, and walked down the stairs with the young elf.

"We have suffered greatly in this battle, many watchers are hurt." He said, pointing to the several bodies and injured elves around the courtyard. "I am glad to have another to aid in the defense, there are few who are still uninjured." He said, "such as you. But, what news do you bring?"

Lindorfin was shocked at the number of people who were now dying around him, and there was not much athelas to go around. He sighed , "Skorgrim has come with a snow troll and another war party, sir. He wants Edhelion's relics badly. We might not be able to hold out much longer".

Dorongur looked to the East, then back at the young elf, "Upon hearing the battle cry of Elrond, I thought the battle was over. Yet, you have brought dire news, that the worst may be yet to come! Let us hope Elrond arrives in time" he said, shaking his head.

Suddenly, a guard ran to the two, panting. "Dorongur! Dorongur, Skorgrim has broken through!" he shouted, and the three ran back to the gate.

"Come, this way! The relics are ours!" they heard Skorgrim shout. They saw him run towards the training building, two armored dwarves behind him. He wore gleaming red-and-black armor, with a long cape. From behind the dwarves, the snow troll came, grasping his club and lumbering up to the courtyard gate. Almost instantly, the weaker gate fell to the strength of the troll's large club. The guard was immediately killed, having been directly behind the gate. Lindorfin and Dorongur were knocked back by the great shockwave, hit with a large amount of force slamming into them.

They were not dead, but dizzy and confused. The troll roared at them, and almost had a chance to kill them with one club stroke. Then suddenly, from the West Gate, a figure in blue robes ran towards the snow troll. It was an elf, who wore a blue robe and had long brown hair. He carried a longsword, silver and gleaming in the sun. It was Elrond, one of the greatest elves in Middle-Earth. He quickly shouted to the troll, "Fall, beast!" and jumped on its back. With great precision, Elrond drove his sword into the troll's skull, and it fell flat on the ground, dropping its club.

"Dorongur, come quickly! Talagan has need of us!" the great elf shouted, pointing towards the training center. Dorongur nodded, and looked back at Lindorfin.

"Lindorfin, you come as well!" He shouted, and the three of them ran back towards the training building. They moved as quickly as they could up the stairs, and at the top, they saw the bridge to the training building was crushed. On the other side, Skorgrim and two elves confronted Talagan, who stood before the doors of the building. Skorgrim clenched his fists and shouted, "The relics are mine!".

"Talagan!" Elrond shouted, realizing that even the great mage did not have a chance against skorgrim and two of his finest Dourhands.

"Never!" Talagan shouted defiantly to the three dwarves.

"What!?" Skorgrim said, obviously enraged by the elf's refusal. "Stop him!" he shouted to his dwarves. They had no chance, however. Talagan raised his hands, and they glowed purple as a loud crunch was heard above the building. Suddenly, three large boulders fell from the mountainside behind the building. They slammed into the roof, and brought it down upon Talagan and the three Dourhands. The three were killed instantly, as the debris crushed them.

"Master Talagan, no!" Dorongur shouted, holding out his staff. "Master Talagan…" he muttered, sighing. Lindorfin was in shock, having seen his master be killed, even the death signified a final pose of defiance to the enemy. Dorongur turned to Elrond, whose eyes were shut.

"Be at peace, Talagan Silvertongue. Your sacrifice was not in vain" Elrond said, and looked towards Dorongur and Lindorfin. "This is a sad day, I wish I would have arrived but a few moments earlier. What, though, of Edhelion's relics? What has become of them?" he asked.

"Well, Lindorfin was the last to see them. He is their keeper, although he is but a trainee. He should be able to tell you" Dorongur said, looking over at Lindorfin.

"Yes, a colleague of mine told me to hide them. They are in the very halls of this building, hidden underground. We can get to them from a passage underground, through the center of this refuge." Lindorfin said, having taken a few moments to remember where he had placed the sacred Edhelion relics.

"So the relics of Edhelion have been hidden inside the halls? That is excellent to hear, as that means Talagan's sacrifice was truly not in vain. The death of Skorgrim and the ruin caused by Talagan should be enough to keep the relics safe. If at least for a little while.

"I fear though that Edhelion will no longer offer respite for our kind. We were too few in number to keep Edhelion safe. Rebuilding here would be folly. No, Edhelion will fade… yet Ifeel that you shall return here again someday…"


	2. Kalrendor Introduction

Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar

Kalrendor Hasso Introduction

Kalrendor Hasso awoke in the middle of the night, his tight brown clothing gone. His thin, sharp dagger was no longer on his belt… his entire belt was gone, everything was gone. He remembered having been walking back to Bree from Buckland when three dwarves ambushed him. The thin, strong man pushed his un-kept brown hair from his face and sighed. Standing up, he looked around and realized where he was. It was a prison, in a wooden fort, and he could only see due to torches outside his large cell. Kalrendor looked down and saw a body, of another prisoner. He could see he had beige garments on, the same as the dead man next to him.

He walked over to the wall separating his cell from the rest of the fort. Looking outside the portcullis door, he could see that the people keeping him were men, and that there were a lot of them. Suddenly, he felt a tapping on his left shoulder and jumped away. A man in a green hood stepped out of the shadows, looked out of the portcullis door onto the small courtyard, then back at Kalrendor. The two stared at eachother for a moment, before the other man stepped out into the light. He was dressed as a ranger, and had a shortsword in his hand. He was a ranger, Kalrendor could tell.

"Good, you are awake. The Blackwolds gave you quite a knock on the head, and I feared you would not wake up sooner. There is little time to talk, but I will tell you what I may." He said. "My name is Amdir, I am what some in Bree call a ranger. I have come to learn what connection these men have with the black rider I've been tracking from the Shire.

"However, the situation has worsened. I learned from Jon Brackenbrook, a hunter in Archet, that a man in his father's garrison – Calder Cob by the name – is working for the Blackwolds and has captured two visiting hobbits. Indeed, I have seen them here. I will need your help if I am to rescue them." He said.

"What's in it for me?" Kalrendor said, raising an eyebrow, and grinning. Money came first, it was survival, and it was everything he needed.

Amdir frowned, "Well, I could free you from a miserable existence and probable execution by the Blackwolds. I suppose that is enough."

"Umm… yeah, that's more than enough" Kalrendor said, quickly making his decision.

"First, I must free you from this pen. When you are free, search the crate outside for your belt and weapons. Speak to me when you are armed. Quietly now! I must await the right moment…" he whispered, looking out to the courtyard. "Now, someone is coming."

Amdir crouched down, and Kalrendor ran back towards where he was unconscious a while ago, pretending to have been sleeping and listening to what was going on. Outside, a man in red garments walked up to the Blackwold lackey sleeping near the prison cell, a bottle of ale on the bench in front of him. He shouted to the lackey, "Wake up, you fool!" and the man immediately shot up, shocked.

"The Nazgul is coming for the hobbit Cob brought us. Before he arrives, we must dispose of Kalrendor and that hobbit-girl. You take care of Kalrendor!" he said in a deep, slow voice, before walking off.

"Yes, sir!" the lackey shouted, then looked back at Kalrendor. He said out loud as he opened the cell door, "Guess your times up, Kalrendor!" The lackey planned to say more, but was cut off when Amdir swiftly stabbed the man through the heart with his sword, and let him drop to the ground, dead. Kalrendor shot up, and Amdir nodded to him, the two running outside to the courtyard.

"Here, search this crate for any of your equipment. Be quick now!" Amdir said, watching Kalrendor and opening the crate.

Kalrendor searched through the crate and found his belt, putting it on and gripping his dagger.

"Now, while you see about freeing the hobbits, Celadine Brandybuck and Mundo Sackville-Baggins, I will follow that fellow in red and see what he knows about the Black Rider. Free Celadine first, for the man's words tell me she is in the greatest danger. It is Mundo they want alive. When you have both hobbits safe, seek me near the main gate. We will return the hobbits to Archet and expose Calder Cob's treachery to Jon's father. Now, you should find Celadine that way, hurry!" he said, and ran off to one door, pointing for Kalrendor to go to the other.

Kalrendor chuckled, having suddenly been brought into something important. He sighed, looking towards the door and walking towards it. He came to a long section of the fort, and before him was a small stable for cows. The Blackwold there turned, hearing the door open, and held out his sword. "You will not get past me!" he said, running at Kalrendor stupidly. The fight was quick, as Kalrendor ducked under the lackey's blade, turning and piercing the man's head, dropping him easily.

He looked over to see two others, one of them watching something to the right through a large portcullis, and one facing the other way, near a campfire. He stealthily moved through the shadows, to the point that he could hear the second man's breathing. Kalrendor took a rock and tossed it away from the portcullis. He was surprised by the sound, and as he went to search for it, Kalrendor tripped him and stabbed him in the heart.

The nearby man stood up, and having better vision, was able to make out Kalrendor's location. "Look.. A rat escaped its cage," he said, taking out a mace and running at Kalrendor. He did not expect to be seen, and failed to dodge the mace's hit. It knocked him back, and he stumbled onto the floor, having been hit in the arm. He crawled in the other direction, watching the ruffian, who began running after him. He waited until the right moment to roll to the side as the man's mace slammed into the ground, and stabbed the man. It pierced his chest, but he was not dead, and he kicked Kalrendor away.

Kalrendor was able to stumble up, and make a quick subtle stab to the man's face. The man fell down, clutching his cheek, and Kalrendor jumped on him, killing him with a stab through the head. He stood up, and moved quietly behind a plant to see what was behind the long portcullis the other men were watching. It was one of the hobbits, tied by rope to some wood, but Kalrendor knew he could not rescue him. There were four armed Blackwolds taunting him, one of them armed with a big axe. Kalrendor would have no chance. He quietly walked off to another portcullis and walked through it.

On the other side, he saw, a large open oven was off to the side, with boiling water in a container on it, with two figures on the center. There was the female hobbit, who was in a similar predicament as the male. However, only one ruffian was watching her, and was twirling an axe. Kalrendor ran up to him stealthily, unleashing a surprise attack with his dagger. He was caught off guard, and managed to just get one missed swing before he was overwhelmed and sliced through the neck by the burglar.

The female hobbit cheered, "Take that, you villain! Ha!" and looked up at Kalrendor happily. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was hoping that hooded fellow – Amdir was his name I believe – I was hoping he was here to rescue me. When I didn't see him return, I had feared those men had caught him. But it seems he had only gone to get help!

"My friend Mundo is nearby too. We must save him as well! These brigands have been saying terrible things! We'll need a distraction… and I know just what to do." She said, grinning. "Just need a bit of flame…" she mumbled, taking a flaming piece of wood from the oven, "and a place to put it!" she said, throwing it up on the roof of a nearby wooden building. In a few moments, it began to catch fire, and she laughed. "That should get their attention" she shouted. "Now, follow me!" Celadine said.

The two ran out through the portcullis, then through another to where Mundo was being held. Three of the lackeys were off trying to fix the fire, only one remaining. Celadine shouted, "there he is!" pointing to Mundo. This alerted the attention of the remaining brigand, who looked back at Kalrendor and frowned. He shouted, and took out a shortsword, running at Kalrendor and slashing at him. The blade barely met its target, making a small cut in his chest. He took out his dagger and dodged another large slash, making a cunning attack on the brigand's shoulder.

He stepped back, holding his sword with his damaged shoulder. The man switched arms and made a series of stabs at Kalrendor. They were blocked by his quick reactions, except for the last, which made a tiny hole in his chest. Kalrendor grunted, rolling through the ground under the tall brigand's knees and turning around, stabbing him in the neck. It was an instant kill, and as the man dropped, Kalrendor began to feel the heat as more buildings caught fire. He cut Mundo's ropes and Celadine ran over.

"Oh, Mundo, are you alright?" she asked, worriedly.

"Yes, Cela, I'm fine, just a bit beat up is all." He said, then looked over to Kalrendor, frowning. "Its about time! Was I expected to… to umm, rescue myself? Come on, you big clodpole. Get me out of here before those ruffians return. They want to sell me off like a bag of potatoes!" he said rudely, and Kalrendor scowled.

"Listen here, you little hobbit. If I wanted to, I could have left you here to burn with the rest of the ruffians. You're almost just as bad, you little piece of garbage." He growled, and Mundo stepped back, obviously fearful. Kalrendor shook his head and ran off towards the main gate, the two hobbits following him.

They reached the thick portcullis separating them from the gate in a few seconds, and suddenly, were exposed to fear they could not imagine. Before them, Amdir waved a large torch from side-to-side before a black rider, whose horse backed away with every swipe of it. The horse was slightly armored, and was pitch-black, its eyes glowing red. The rider atop it was covered in dark robes, and its face was not visible. It held a sharp longsword, and tried to slash at Amdir.

"Back! Go back to the shadow, fallen king!" Amdir shouted, holding the torch in front of him.

"Fool, your kingdom is dead! You have no power over me! But soon, I will have power over you!!" The rider shouted, with a sharp, snakelike voice. Its horse turned, and the rider made a wide slash with his sword, finally cutting Amdir in the chest and arms. The rider laughed, and its horse turned around to the two hobbits and Kalrendor. His heart, like the hobbits', was heavy with dread. He was frightened like never before, as the rider approached. It was as if fire filled his very vision, and he stumbled back onto the ground in fear.

"Where is the 'baggins' promised me?" the rider shouted, moving towards them.

Mundo suddenly backed away to the wall, shouting in fright, "Mercy me!" and fell onto the ground.

Suddenly, the horse backed away, and the rider shouted sharply, "Accursed flames! This dunadan will suffice for my night's work. May you all burn! Either now, or in Mordor on the morrow!" it said, the horse speeding away through the gate. In a few moments, Celadine ran over to Amdir, shouting "Kalrendor, come quick!" and gasping.

Kalrendor came slowly, still shocked by the black rider, and looked down at Amdir's wounds. Amdir looked up slowly, sighing, "You… You found them. You rescued the hobbits. Do not concern yourself with me… The greatest danger… has passed. The nazgul fear those who wield fire… Ugh…" and collapsed, lying down on his stomach.

Celadine looked down at Amdir in horror, "Oh no, Amdir!" she shouted, then looked over at Kalrendor, shouting "Poor Amdir is hurt! We need to take him to Archet! Its not far, someone will know what to do!" and Kalrendor nodded.

It had been the first time Kalrendor had truly done something important, and that was all he thought of, after he had returned to Archet with the hobbits and placed Amdir in medical care. Still, he thought, the amount of rewards he would receive from the Dunedain for this would probably be substantial…


	3. Kelgun Introduction

Lord of the Rings: Shadows of Angmar

Kelgun Introduction

Kelgun scratched his red beard, sighing, as he walked towards the Silver Deep Mine. He walked along a path of black cobblestone, in a small recruit uniform. He had recently joined the ranks of the Thorin's Gate Militia, having trained for a few years as a guardian for the Dourhand miners who often went down underground to search for minerals, fighting off cave-claws with a hatchet.

He was proud of his armor, a blue piece of plate-mail with large metal gloves, boots, and shoulder plates. Leather straps covered the torso, and a copper plate covered his stomach area from damage. Kelgun had not been able to discover what the markings on the copper plate meant, but he knew that they were special.

Now, he had been called from his usual post near the large fortress of Thorin to the Silver Deep Mine, by Thorin Oakenshield himself. He walked quickly, but did not run, knowing that some ice would melt now, in the summer.

Thorin's Gate was one of the greatest settlements of Ered Luin, a small valley at the east side of the northern blue mountains. Three sets of houses existed within, as well as the central intersection of the roads where the militia bases stood.

The Refuge of Edhelion was the only unpopulated area, a former elf settlement now destroyed, with the mighty stronghold of the valley at the north. There, most of the dwarves lived. Kelgun had taken the path from near the refuge down the mountain path to the Mine. Now, he walked through the gate to the outpost.

There, several dwarves were conversing, several rations and horses near the entrance. Thorin was speaking to a huge old man, with a pointy hat and great gray beard. Kelgun walked over to one of them, and he turned around to Kelgun. "Ah, you're here. Took you long enough." He said.

"Its about time for us to leave to reclaim the Lonely Mountain's treasures. Thorin wants to make a bit of a show of it, so he wants everyone gathered to usher him off. Just about everyone is west of here, in front of the halls, but there are a few stragglers still at work in the halls of the Silver Deep." Looking back in the direction of the mine. "I've already sent my Gimli on ahead to gather them, but he may need your help. Go on in and give him a hand" he said, pointing behind him towards the mine. "You'll find the mine right around that bend."

Kelgun nodded, and took out his small hatchet, walking past all the dwarves past the bend. He saw the small wooden door, and pulled the door handle back, walking down a metal stairway into the mines. Kelgun had a bit of difficulty seeing in the dark, until he exited out of another wooden door onto the mines. There, the hallways were lined with torches on the side, and on occasion, a lantern hanging from the ceiling. Before him, a hooded dwarf was standing, with a dark brown beard.

"Ah, welcome. Between you and me, I'm glad you came to help. The sooner we are done, the sooner we can see my father and the rest of the company off." He said, smiling. "Here, you take this passage straight ahead, and I'll go by the side passage. I'll take the door to the left, you go straight ahead." Gimli said. He walked off, going into a door to the side.

Kelgun looked around and saw two Dourhand miners, one in front of him and one far ahead. Small chunks of debris and dust began falling from the ceiling, and one miner grunted to himself, "Place is shaking like there was a troll about." Kelgun walked up to him, and told him about the ceremony. "That ceremony is on now? Guess I'm leaving then" he said, and walked away to the door. Kelgun walked through the passage and sent two other miners off, before finally coming to a portcullis.

There, a small cave-claw shrieked, trying to cut into its opponent, a muscular dwarf fighting the creature with only a pickaxe. The cave-claw was a small animal that existed in the blue mountains, a creature with a large sharp nose that it used to impale both predator and prey. The dwarf hit the beast across the head, crushing its skull and taking it down instantly. Kelgun looked at him, and he looked back. It was Otur, leader of the Silver Deep miners.

"Cave-claws are such a nuisance! They burrow all over the place and weaken the walls. Well, at least they're better than the trolls that lived around here before" he said, sighing.

"Thorin's leaving, Otur. Everyone is at the ceremony, you're getting the rest of the day off." Kelgun said, pointing back.

"So, Thorin's finally setting off, is he? Well, its about time if you ask me! Fortunately, there is only one more dwarf you need to call. His name it Tvistur, you can find him deeper in the mine." He said, walking to the portcullis. "This way, guard. I'll tell you one thing – he won't come easily. He's a stubborn one, keeps to himself… that's why he's digging so deep into the Silver Deep.

"Well, we should move on. No sense standing here with our jaws flapping when there's work to be done. Lets go!" he said, opening the portcullis.

The two walked through, careful in case of a cave-claw attack. There was a large chasm, over which a thick bridge ran. Portcullis doors lie on each side of the bridge. Kelgun followed Otur to the doors, and Otur sighed, scratching his head, as he attempted to open the doors.

"Bah! He's locked it." He said, kicking the door. "This way! Tvistur is coming whether he wants to or not." Otur said, walking left to a small slab of rock bulging from the stable ground he and Kelgun were on before. To their left, a wooden scaffolding was attached to the wall, perhaps to hold back a collapsing wall.

On the other side, a large dwarf was picking away at a large stone door with a pickaxe, Gimli behind him. "Seems Gimli made it here first." Otur said.

Gimli turned to the two, specifically at Kelgun. "Ah, Kelgun. Maybe you'll have better luck with this one! He won't listen to a word I'll say!" he shouted across the chasm.

"I heard you already! I'm just not going!" Tvistur said, not turning away from the wall.

"And I told you that you shouldn't be digging near those ruins. Thorin said to leave them be, that there is danger beyond the wall!" Gimli shouted.

"Bah! I'll never pay heed to the words of a Longbeard!" Tvistur barked. He was one of the Dourhands then, Kelgun assumed. The miner dwarves, who had lost their power with the death of their tyrannical leader Skorgrim fifty years ago, resulting in a subsequent surrender. Finally, with one large pickaxe stroke, the stone wall crumbled, and Tvistur stepped back to avoid the debris.

Kelgun could see that a smile had covered his face, as he said "There, that should do it!" out loud, looking far into the tunnel he had just dug.

Suddenly, Tvistur's face changed to one of surprise and confusion. A large slam was heard deep in the tunnel that had just been dug out. "Wait, what's that sound?" he muttered. Otur stepped forward, not knowing what to expect from the cave.

"It's a troll!" Tvistur shouted, backing away from the cave quickly and running. He only ran a few meters before he slipped on the ground. Gimli's face was one of terror as he looked upon the figure that stepped out of the tunnel. It was a 12-foot cave troll, wielding a large club. It roared at Tvistur, and he quickly got back on his feet.

Meanwhile, Otur and Kelgun stepped back in horror upon seeing the great troll, and watched as Tvistur took out his pickaxe. "Roar all you like! You face your death, troll!" he shouted in defiance as he prepared to swing the axe. "For the dourhands!" he barked as he charged at the troll.

"Tvistur! run!" Gimli shouted to him, but it was too late.

In moments, the troll brought down its club upon Tvistur and hit him square in the chest. The dwarf was knocked back a few feet, and muttered to himself as he fell down on the ground. The troll had not seen Otur and Kelgun, but it had seen Gimli. The massive creature slammed its club on the ground, and Otur looked over at Gimli.

"Run, Gimli!" Otur shouted to him from across the chasm, and Gimli took out his axe, paying good attention to Otur.

"Come here, your oversized sack of stone!" Gimli shouted, and ran back towards a large passage in the caves. The enraged troll quickly gave chase, and the two disappeared in the passage. Kelgun looked over at Otur, and vice versa, as the entrance to the passage crumbled, leaving Gimli and the troll alone to fight.

Otur growled, looking over at the tunnel dug by Tvistur, then back at Kelgun. "We've got to help Gimli, and be quick about it! I do not know how long Gimli can keep that beast busy before it overpowers him! Follow me!" he shouted, and ran past Kelgun. Kelgun turned and followed, as the two ran to the portcullis.

"Wait, the lock on the door locks damaged." Otur said, and grabbed the lock. "Just a moment.." he muttered, as he took out his pickaxe and broke the lock in half. "There, that should do it." He said, looking back at Kelgun.

"I will help Gimli, stay here and wait for me." Kelgun said, turning towards the tunnel the troll had come from.

"Be careful though, you will surely run into some cave-claws on the way there." Otur warned, and Kelgun nodded. Kelgun ran into the tunnel, holding his hatchet ready to swing. It was a good idea, for out of the shadows, a small cave-claw ran at him. With a single swing, he slammed the cave-claw against the head and killed it. Kelgun looked down and laughed, as he ran through the tunnel.

He suddenly came upon a circular room, devastated by the troll. It's walls were of elvish design, and its center a large pillar. Interestingly, there were two holes in the walls of the room, through which light from the outside could be seen. The room was bright, after Kelgun being used to the relative darkness of the rest of the mine.

At the other side of the room, at a small square corridor, lay a sleeping cave-claw. It began to blink as it heard footsteps near. Its eyes trailed to Kelgun's location, and it quickly sprung to life, charging him. Kelgun put his wooden shield up, and was pushed back a bit by the cave-claw slamming into his shield. He stepped back against the wall and dodged a large stab by the cave-claw, hitting it in the back with his hatchet.

The cave-claw turned, slicing Kelgun in the leg with its claws, and tripping him with its large claw. Kelgun fell down on his back, and shouted as the beast drove its claw into his chest. The armor worked well enough that he was not pierced, but the pain from the hit was still great. Kelgun gripped his hatchet and hit the cave-claw in the leg with a hammer-like blow.

The cave-claw jumped back, its leg dragging along the floor as it moved with its functioning legs. Kelgun slammed it in the back with the hatchet and watched as it slowly backed away. He quickly stood, clenching his teeth against the great pain in his leg. Kelgun ran at the cave-claw and slammed it with a shield blow. The creature was thrown back by the power of this blow, and rolled dead on the ground.

The dwarf turned, and walked through the tunnel, having difficulty finding his way with the darkness. "Blasted light!" Kelgun muttered, "Now it is impossible to see anything." He could tell that there were more elven walls as he felt his way through the path.

Finally, Kelgun saw light at the end of the tunnel, and the path was clear. He ran through the tunnel, jumping over a rock, into a massive room. More light penetrated in these walls than in the other room, but it was still not much. A large elven wall separated Kelgun from a rocky passage over, what Kelgun could see through a window, a large deep hole that covered almost all of the room and was deeper than any other chasm Kelgun had ever seen.

Beyond the gate, Kelgun could hear dwarf shouting and large slams on the ground. Gimli and the troll, in combat! "Gimli!" Kelgun shouted, but had no time to get closer before a horrid cave-claw shriek was heard behind him. He turned, and was slammed on a head by a cave-claw. It was reared up on its hind legs, and reached Kelgun's head with its claws.

He retaliated, swinging his hatchet to hit the cave-claw. The attack missed, and the cave-claw circled, slashing at Kelgun multiple times with its large claw with great speed. One hit pierced the armor, and Kelgun jumped back after taking the furry of blows. He looked down at his bleeding leg and then at the cave-claw. The beast wasted no time, jumping at Kelgun once more.

The dwarf had an idea, and only a split second to act it out. He collapsed himself, falling on his back, as the cave-claw flew over him and hit the wall head-first. Kelgun pushed himself up, kicking the cave-claw in the face to keep it down. He leaped down, grabbing its back and central spike, holding it up high. He suddenly threw it over his head, out the window, and watched it bounce off a stoney wall before disappearing in the fog of the chasm.

Kelgun turned to the gate and ran to it, pulling a lever and running through the gate as it began to rise. Kelgun looked to the left, and could see Gimli and the troll in combat. The troll was trying to hit Gimli with its blows while the dwarf crouched and dodged, counter-attacking with his axe. The two were fighting near two tunnels, one of which was blocked by a large rocky wall.

"Come to my axe! Today, you face the fury of the dwarves, troll!" Gimli shouted as he jumped back to dodge a blow, angering the troll even further.

Kelgun ran, as fast as he could go, to Gimli's aid, but it was too late. Gimli was exhausted, and as the troll brought down its club on the ground, Gimli was thrown onto the ground. The shockwave blasted Kelgun back, and he fell on the ground in shock. The troll lifted its club, prepared to deliver the deathblow.

Suddenly, a tall figure in grey stepped out of the open tunnel. Kelgun had remembered him from outside the mine before, speaking with Thorin Oakenshield. He wore a pointy blue hat and had a large wooden staff. A long white beard fell from his face, old and wise. "Stay your hand, beast!" he shouted in a powerful, booming voice as he lifted his staff.

In an instant, the wall behind the troll crumbled, revealing Thorin's Valley outside. The troll looked at the hole in horror, and in moments, it began to turn to stone. "You shall trouble us no longer!" the old man shouted, as its head turned to stone. The troll, formerly of flesh and blood, was now solid stone.

Gimli stood up, amazed, and looked at the old man. "My thanks to you, master Gandalf." He said, bowing low.

"You are most welcome, master dwarf." Gandalf said, looking at Kelgun then back at Gimli. "I am glad I arrived when I did. This fellow seemed intent on slaying the both of you" he said, glancing at the troll.

"We've had no end to the beasts here, especially around the elf-ruins. That is why Thorin forbade us to dig around them," Gimli said, "not that Tvistur paid Thorin's command any mind. Fool Dourhands!"

"An interesting tale, master dwarf. Most interesting…" Gandalf muttered to himself, then looked back at Kelgun, who was glancing back between the two. "Kelgun, come here. I wish to hear your tale as well." Gandalf said, and Kelgun walked over to him.

"Thank you for the help, master Gandalf. I had no part in killing the troll, I came to call the miners out to the ceremony, then went to help Gimli when the fool Tvistur got himself killed for Dourhand glory." He explained, and Gandalf rubbed his beard.

"Tvistur spoke of the Dourhands, did he? There is a long history with those particular dwarves and these halls." Gandalf said, Kelgun raising an eyebrow. "You see, these halls were once part of an elf refuge. Elves seeking to leave Middle-Earth would meditate here before their long trip to the west.

"These halls also contained many relics – relics that were much desired by SkorgrÍm, a lord of the Dourhands in the elder days. He assaulted Edhelion, but was slain when the elves brought a stone crashing down upon him almost 400 years ago." He said, sighing. "I will take this matter up with Thorin later. For now, however, let us go to the assembly. Time is wasting!"


End file.
